tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49720503790912950142024-03-28T23:29:43.040-04:00Beautiful Chaos~Praise the children and they will blossom~
Just a preschool teacher being grown by the kiddos in my life. I am blessed.Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.comBlogger158125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-69106316512337954632016-03-14T21:32:00.001-04:002016-03-14T21:32:06.463-04:00Preschool: Target Dollar Spot Easter Literacy Centers<div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>I found these adorable felt eggs and carrots at Target's Dollar Spot. I turned them into literacy centers. <div><br><div>Egg and Chick Center:</div><div>I made mini chicks by shrinking chick coloring pages down and adding a photo to each one. Then I colored the chicks. I'm planning on using these during letter 'N' week. So my pictures are of things that start with the letter 'N' and a few that do not. Students will find an egg, pull out the chick and decide how to sort it: words that start with 'N' or words that do not start with 'N'. This is totally customizable to your units and themes. </div></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKO3YLnqswRqEbYdBVV1waSTpnG13Not1imUFrN-p-5-VerLvy3ru8M0g0ShsGm2MY0taD1-eJU5SZgm7Oew48Jzoh14KWSNH-c0-rWAvdqZW4SPDX9tSb3Et15S6kl4jxugUjAkb9-vg/s640/blogger-image-595315411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKO3YLnqswRqEbYdBVV1waSTpnG13Not1imUFrN-p-5-VerLvy3ru8M0g0ShsGm2MY0taD1-eJU5SZgm7Oew48Jzoh14KWSNH-c0-rWAvdqZW4SPDX9tSb3Et15S6kl4jxugUjAkb9-vg/s640/blogger-image-595315411.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgjSB5FJyZlLQnPZd6mAqdGTDDrvOUWW3LrC0ClVZJc6-T6Aqvp92vrPTL5ta25hcpKtfW-Dosq4VYL0nUAxgFhm1CiU-FiwhtjfgA0AJ3Wc8Tp51QdHgchGCLL6vwHXJOXLvgnRYDYM/s640/blogger-image-584430310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgjSB5FJyZlLQnPZd6mAqdGTDDrvOUWW3LrC0ClVZJc6-T6Aqvp92vrPTL5ta25hcpKtfW-Dosq4VYL0nUAxgFhm1CiU-FiwhtjfgA0AJ3Wc8Tp51QdHgchGCLL6vwHXJOXLvgnRYDYM/s640/blogger-image-584430310.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><div>Bunny and Carrot Center</div><div>I made bunnies programmed with letters and numbers. Students will sort them. Is it a letter or is it a number? </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8p0Fg11nFnwy34UW10pM9lwUpg9tJkYqoEXzKiJl-Ar3AgbifQAaWfpzZNogQyJ87du1cnbfRV9oosJchtCI35TbUuokiTKMTxCLqmPZRLYcuHnVmFnOof4d2mXmsdfcrmA-leTlAWY/s640/blogger-image-1806472708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8p0Fg11nFnwy34UW10pM9lwUpg9tJkYqoEXzKiJl-Ar3AgbifQAaWfpzZNogQyJ87du1cnbfRV9oosJchtCI35TbUuokiTKMTxCLqmPZRLYcuHnVmFnOof4d2mXmsdfcrmA-leTlAWY/s640/blogger-image-1806472708.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOqzlBpp7aBaDTD5PktZ-0Bkb4SGcrsp7LFKm49gokmrl1BA7iEw1GG0VIxWDx4D5OAC7PeXLktAMVnlaKY-M_AK24FnsAhR75dHW6NxK5zgqUAZByDzCtIYS33qJaZC7P84eyzng9DU/s640/blogger-image--651126545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOqzlBpp7aBaDTD5PktZ-0Bkb4SGcrsp7LFKm49gokmrl1BA7iEw1GG0VIxWDx4D5OAC7PeXLktAMVnlaKY-M_AK24FnsAhR75dHW6NxK5zgqUAZByDzCtIYS33qJaZC7P84eyzng9DU/s640/blogger-image--651126545.jpg"></a></div>Happy Easter! š£š£š°š°</div>Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-38514803420889402952015-08-30T17:19:00.001-04:002015-08-30T17:19:28.716-04:00Repurposing Melissa and Doug Boxes<div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKXtHo_-SI4YZz01m7_vJ1m7JF8JYt__HY871KAHp4nLJaN2rbcxhqrHaWERfpcmGOSxkz1Y6ISZD8P8DGvB0DeDcsampVx86la_JAfoqlfFbmdpr049UgWTJNVUfk3l6kx6ORJMDP6Y/s640/blogger-image--1980521883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKXtHo_-SI4YZz01m7_vJ1m7JF8JYt__HY871KAHp4nLJaN2rbcxhqrHaWERfpcmGOSxkz1Y6ISZD8P8DGvB0DeDcsampVx86la_JAfoqlfFbmdpr049UgWTJNVUfk3l6kx6ORJMDP6Y/s640/blogger-image--1980521883.jpg"></a></div>Who doesn't love Melissa and Doug toys? I know we are big fans both at home and at preschool. My one complaint is that the nice wooden boxes they come in don't have lids. š I often toss toys into a container with lid and am faced with having to toss out a perfectly good little wooden box. But NO MORE! <div><br></div><div>As I stood there today looking at the two I have been holding onto for three weeks, it hit me! Drawer organizers!</div><div><br></div><div>I love this little divided one! Its is gonna be keeping my kitchen junk drawer neat. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UCogAXwslbMs232-_zC2nWgCF8sC7x1tmtN0RmRsM_ghpSZeR_oacpwgTHRrlm_H-NSjeTtGEsqTqgt3ROeivaXPFEMirVNklzqz-Tk1ZLE14GWkm8bIjheYk6XMFHGvMXWSD0_ZIHs/s640/blogger-image--414521904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UCogAXwslbMs232-_zC2nWgCF8sC7x1tmtN0RmRsM_ghpSZeR_oacpwgTHRrlm_H-NSjeTtGEsqTqgt3ROeivaXPFEMirVNklzqz-Tk1ZLE14GWkm8bIjheYk6XMFHGvMXWSD0_ZIHs/s640/blogger-image--414521904.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieMRX_cTl7Yc2rZxRmU0nMfcDxBCWm6LPD_TWpEacTkKdKm02jyEQhatTFNATdb2qa54B1Mcds1_qgkasj7lnS9R8CXR0OIhV-tFTYcLSaT6s5Lm2jzulnDc3tbUDvo84KICU7zwwq9T0/s640/blogger-image--1559349981.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieMRX_cTl7Yc2rZxRmU0nMfcDxBCWm6LPD_TWpEacTkKdKm02jyEQhatTFNATdb2qa54B1Mcds1_qgkasj7lnS9R8CXR0OIhV-tFTYcLSaT6s5Lm2jzulnDc3tbUDvo84KICU7zwwq9T0/s640/blogger-image--1559349981.jpg"></a></div>Love being able to reuse things! </div><br></div>Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-26496078459958329142015-08-20T16:52:00.001-04:002015-08-20T17:55:38.353-04:00Because Today My Heart Is HeavyOccasionally my husband will walk into a room and find me bleary eyed, sniffling over my laptop. "Are you reading sad blog posts again?" He asks with a slightly agitated edge to his voice. It is not because he is mad at me, but he knows I am exposing myself to preventable pain by reading people's personal stories of loss, grief and pain. "Why do you do that to yourself?" he asks.<br />
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By reading people's stories and listening to their pain, I gain compassion, empathy and understanding. I hate doing it, but I cannot rip myself away. Stories of loss, grief, addiction and pain pull me in. Sometimes I won't click into the shared post. My heart and head cannot always handle it. See, when you share in someoneās pain, even someone you have never met, you bear a teeny, tiny part of their burden. You carry a very small bit of hurt for them. A tiny amount that makes the grief just only bearable for them. Barely. It is the sharing and prayers and support that makes any loss or grief journey just thatā¦ a journey. Without the sharing, praying, sweet gestures and kind words, a journey becomes a dead end road. No where to go, No ability to get there. Just traveling in circles with no peace. Drowning in hurt and sorrow.<br />
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>In June, my brother and his girlfriend lost their baby, Sweet Baby A, full term at 39 weeks. It was devastating. It is the most horrific thing that I have walked through and it wasnāt even my baby. I sat in the hospital and held hands, shed tears, gave hugs, whispered words of encouragement and walked with them as they embarked on a journey they never intended to be on. A journey I didnāt really know how to walk with them on. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>I was in a muddy strawberry patch with four kids picking berries and navigating the little ones through the vines and gently around ripening berries when I got the call that there was no heartbeat in my nephew at the routine prenatal visit. I immediately found my self facedown in the mud with delicate red berries and twisty vines around my head as I cried out to Jesus. Loudly. People looked, stared and the kids were afraid. But I was pleading with Jesus for a miracle. Pleading in words I could not understand. The pain was unbearable. But somehow I got in the car and drove home, and found my tiny bit of peace in my husbandās arms as I wondered how my brother and his girlfriend would get through this. Losing their precious son. How would my mom and dad and her parents get through losing a grandchild? When would I be able to breathe again? The one thing knew, we would never be the same. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>I pulled myself together and prayed and prayed and prayed. I went to the hospital the next day to be with them as they delivered Sweet Baby A. I was nervous and sad and confused and many other things. But mostly I was angry. The gripping pain was consuming. But it was much, much more so for his parents. Their pain radiated off them as they held each other under those bright hospital lights. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Somehow together, we were going to make it through this. Words of encouragement and hugs from friends and family were a small, needed comfort. A sweet basket of remembrance items were delivered by a photographer who graciously donated her time and talent to photograph Sweet Baby A. She had lost a baby too. She knew. She was so much comfort for me. Her embrace when she walked into the waiting room lifted some pain. She was okay. My family would be okay too. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>I grieved, and still do, as a sister for her brother who lost his first child, his son. I grieved a daughter for her mom and dad who lost a grandchild. I grieved as an aunt for her little nephew whom she already loved so much. I grieved as a friend, and a momma, and a woman. I grieved as a human being. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Two months later and the hurt is still fresh and real. Painful. Gut wrenching at times when I see his picture or remember the call or drive past the withered up strawberry patch. But that hurt means that Sweet Baby A was so loved by so many. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Sweet Baby Aās momma and I have grown close as we find ways to honor him. As I share in her pain and attempt to help her carry a teeny, tiny piece of her pain. I am proud of her and my brother for pushing forward when they thought they could not, for when they did not want to. For making choices no one ever wants to make and for choosing to journey this painful road with family and friends. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>That is why we share. That is why I read sad stories. It's why I attend Sweet Grace Ministries Support Group. We pull together and feel the heaviness of each other's pain. It's why we pull tiny parts of heartache from one another, lugging it, bearing it, sustaining each other. </span></div>
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"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things endures all things. Love never ends. </div>
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1 Corinthians 13:7/8</div>
Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-88689289884878049902015-02-13T16:46:00.001-05:002015-02-13T16:46:48.550-05:00Preschool: Handprint Valentine!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuh9wq6bpzmW6Jc-KpgFAgk9uZWnq-UPRV5Qe_EvEcArdQQ2zsbddBq_LOt1jM77zhruAym7J04rPnGA5FWB2pbk7OIYy7KoFcvb-lMkNYvWZ0zv5IaJG1Z_6snxm3spkhUuG4D7lrxM/s640/blogger-image--405613454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuh9wq6bpzmW6Jc-KpgFAgk9uZWnq-UPRV5Qe_EvEcArdQQ2zsbddBq_LOt1jM77zhruAym7J04rPnGA5FWB2pbk7OIYy7KoFcvb-lMkNYvWZ0zv5IaJG1Z_6snxm3spkhUuG4D7lrxM/s640/blogger-image--405613454.jpg"></div>Super simple cute craft that I saw done here! You just need some green paint, heart sticker or heart cutouts and glue! <div><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">http://www.kidsplaybox.com/valentine-art-hand-print-hearts-garden/</span><div><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Here is our version! </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rdPMN1O5WBkGMaoERxFIoHDGh5jaReNdvgffiVSP77a88TsdgFzf_cOg21LLiFVNpvHK0qC75ZymiiKXjycnCHu-D8ESSAENKnYZNvddJ2HWY65SydhrXemg6TqdGUaBMmeYThjicfw/s640/blogger-image-138861747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rdPMN1O5WBkGMaoERxFIoHDGh5jaReNdvgffiVSP77a88TsdgFzf_cOg21LLiFVNpvHK0qC75ZymiiKXjycnCHu-D8ESSAENKnYZNvddJ2HWY65SydhrXemg6TqdGUaBMmeYThjicfw/s640/blogger-image-138861747.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSnApsZCrqzXGS13PYwBDFE2v-veBC_vKolUkRD0qEpaTr6G5RBf2ApAyDTY1YKTMD9q3NXRQKZfGp11xiI0y0WT_3q60_S0B3z2IezSUCQZXmcj-B2BgJiHHCDkYFoURaqB2ctZGrJk/s640/blogger-image-772798003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSnApsZCrqzXGS13PYwBDFE2v-veBC_vKolUkRD0qEpaTr6G5RBf2ApAyDTY1YKTMD9q3NXRQKZfGp11xiI0y0WT_3q60_S0B3z2IezSUCQZXmcj-B2BgJiHHCDkYFoURaqB2ctZGrJk/s640/blogger-image-772798003.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPumlus71dB8jew_-Sl_Bh1aOeEmf2R6K1jZT3SNY8bNKwcjk47lM3MHXPbWiqh_C0Ei4DqSxDj-XcPp_XbeHyKhuj0GsCFoxBSdvR9do5mXBEq2yK4I7J70yD5vYOGocv0Tgaqxu0d4/s640/blogger-image-1959511877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPumlus71dB8jew_-Sl_Bh1aOeEmf2R6K1jZT3SNY8bNKwcjk47lM3MHXPbWiqh_C0Ei4DqSxDj-XcPp_XbeHyKhuj0GsCFoxBSdvR9do5mXBEq2yK4I7J70yD5vYOGocv0Tgaqxu0d4/s640/blogger-image-1959511877.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><br></span></div>Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-16091804377243799252015-01-12T14:32:00.001-05:002015-01-13T07:18:13.004-05:00We Are Finished<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Baby Girl turned 17 months on Saturday. She has not nursed since Thursday. I think we are officially weaned. Breastfeeding her was the most challenging and most rewarding experience of my life.<br>
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It hurt in the beginning, and then again when she started teething. It hurt when she bit me a few times. It hurt when her latch changed after she got teeth. It hurt when I had a clogged duct. It hurt when she felt like she was permanently attached to me for the first few months. And it hurts to know that she is done. Don't misunderstand. I am so done. I want my body back. It was the right time. She was ready and I was ready. But that does not mean it doesn't hurt.<br>
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I sustained her life. All by myself until she was a year old. No formula. Just Mommy's milk. I am so proud of meeting that goal. Then continued on as she was eating full meals and snacks. I kept on nursing her. Less and less. But I was still able to soothe her or put her down to rest by nursing her. It was our time together. It was beautiful. But now we are done and ready to bond in other ways.<br>
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I will miss her staring into my eyes like I was her whole world. Or the gentle touches on my face. There is a lot I will not miss and if you have ever nursed a baby, you know what I am talking about. The bites, the pumping, the niplash, the inability to just pop a cold medicine when you are miserably sick. Breastfeeding is hard. Am I glad to be done. I am glad to have done it. It is something that I am looking forward to doing again when the time comes. My breastfeeding journey started with tears and it ended with tears. Today, these tears are happy and sad. I am done. I have met my goals. I have provided for my child. I have persevered through the pain and the challenges. I have done it. We have done it. And we are finished.<br>
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<br>Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-75056427197449932602014-12-10T16:10:00.001-05:002014-12-10T21:07:32.462-05:00Preschool: Watercolor Gingerbread Houses<div>
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For this simple Christmas craft you will need:<br />
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-copies of any gingerbread house coloring page or reproducible copied on thick paper or watercolor paper (found <a href="http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=23056">here</a>)</div>
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Watercolor paints</div>
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Adhesive foam gingerbread men (I found mine at Michael's)</div>
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Kiddos paint the houses, cut them out (or adult can do it) and add a gingerbread man. Here's our ginger village! </div>
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Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-8178455438795495162014-11-26T20:05:00.000-05:002014-11-26T20:05:12.136-05:00The Moment You Broke My HeartFrom the first second you entered this world, you broke my heart. Your tiny little cry, your precious little face, your head full of dark swirly hair. It broke my heart. Your first latch, your first smiles, your bright blue eyes. My heart filled with so much love that I felt it start to crack. It was overwhelmed.<br />
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At two weeks old you took your first little bottle of pumped milk. My heart broke. Soon you started intentionally smiling, rolling over, staring into my eyes as you nursed. And my heart broke.<br />
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You would rub my face or arm as you nursed, clap your hands when you were happy and wave. And my heart broke.<br />
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It broke when you giggled and cooed and sat up on your own. When you played with your toys and said "Da-da" the first time. It really broke when I cuddled you as you spent your first Christmas with a nasty cold.<br />
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My heart broke when you started to give kisses, wave bye, dance and be silly. When you started to intentionally play, chatter and show affection.<br />
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With each new word, each new triumph it broke. It still does. Your first steps, your first birthday. *sigh*<br />
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But today my heart nearly shattered in half. It wasn't because it was overfilled with joy and pride. Today it was because of my own mistake. I caused you pain. And my heart broke.<br />
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The first and only time you drank cow's milk, you got a bad diaper rash and bad tummy pains. Today as I poured a glass for the neighbor girl, I decided to take the doctor's suggestion to try it one last time. It was against my better judgement, what my heart felt. But I did it. Because you were begging for it. You were breaking my heart. You happily drank only an ounce or so, having more fun shaking it up and seeing the frothy bubbles it made. Shortly after, you were fussy and tired and chaos was ensuing around me. I needed to tend to the other daycare kids quickly and hoped that you would fall asleep if I put you in your crib for a few minutes. I laid you down and shut the door. I listened to your screams as I refilled cups, cleaned up messes and played referee. It was only five minutes, but I your heart breaking screams made it feel like hours. I picked you up, expecting you to stop screaming, happy that Mommy was holding you. But you didn't stop. You screamed and thrashed and wailed. And my heart broke. I thought it was because of me letting you unattended in your crib for a few minutes, that <i>your</i> heart was broken. For forty minutes I rocked you, tried to nurse you, rubbed your back, held you as you screamed. My heart broke. Again and again, over and over it broke. You have never acted like that. Never. Never have you been inconsolable. Tears welled in my eyes as I wished Daddy was home to help. I prayed with you. You finally fell asleep. As my hand was on your belly I could feel it rumble and rumble. The milk. The milk did this. My heart broke. When you woke up, again you were screaming in pain. Finally, you got the gas out and you were once again your happy little self. Running, squealing, smiling. And my heart broke.<br />
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You'll break my heart everyday. I know it. Sometimes from swells of happiness and sometimes rueful, sometimes painfully, like today. I'm so glad for a broken heart. I hope most are from the heaviness of happiness. I love that you break my heart. Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-12694964422823068912014-11-13T19:12:00.000-05:002014-11-13T19:12:02.090-05:00Preschool: Name Book Turkeys<div>
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If you are not familiar with our Name Books start <a href="http://preschoolparadisesgb.blogspot.com/2014/06/preschool-name-books.html">here</a>.<br />
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Here's a little addition for this year. Matching up our names! Each kiddos was given a cup with a precut body, feathers with the letters of their name prewritten, 2 wiggley eyes and a beak. They matched their name to their name tags and glued them around their turkey body. Add eyes, beak and wattle and your good to go!</div>
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Comment, Pin and Share! :) </div>
Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-81880564101778475852014-10-09T20:34:00.003-04:002014-10-09T20:38:33.374-04:00Preschool: Grape Scented Grapes!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrhLzAyfcTw4Q7rb6mvJcUoMQGfH6zUHQY4vuLStfTXe3F9P11jmm-cK0R0e_6KEjdhH1HdqOyZUzISF1p4CHUy0b_5YOMhcW3dMw0X0iWZc2pm1dMNzbWSEPA2Ak2xzs3C1i2dBLSJA/s640/blogger-image--975939681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrhLzAyfcTw4Q7rb6mvJcUoMQGfH6zUHQY4vuLStfTXe3F9P11jmm-cK0R0e_6KEjdhH1HdqOyZUzISF1p4CHUy0b_5YOMhcW3dMw0X0iWZc2pm1dMNzbWSEPA2Ak2xzs3C1i2dBLSJA/s640/blogger-image--975939681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br></div><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrhLzAyfcTw4Q7rb6mvJcUoMQGfH6zUHQY4vuLStfTXe3F9P11jmm-cK0R0e_6KEjdhH1HdqOyZUzISF1p4CHUy0b_5YOMhcW3dMw0X0iWZc2pm1dMNzbWSEPA2Ak2xzs3C1i2dBLSJA/s640/blogger-image--975939681.jpg"></div><br>
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I used:<br>
-purple paint<br>
-sponge<br>
-wine cork<br>
-an empty spice container<br>
-grape Kool-Aid<br>
-brown and green crayons or markers<br>
-white paper (thicker is better)<br>
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Important things to know:<br>
~Mixing Kool-Aid powder with paint will result in a gritty, bubbly mess. Don't ask me how I know. :) Sprinkling it on afterward will give you the best results.<br>
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I poured purple paint into a craft cup. Then had the kids dip the cork into the purple paint then onto the sponge to remove excess paint before using it on the paper. This is important because if you use too much paint the Kool-Aid will absorb into the paint and do weird things. ;)<br>
Sprinkle a very small amount of the Kool-Aid powder via the spice container onto the grapes when finished. It only takes a little. It smells so yummy!<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_z-9Wsd_VQTQj_av9E3qZdZ8k_0vAWLXheMxy43NOZ3OWAcv-VXTiZrHSKgBH27cUX_6FEncwBr5F832B8ieuzW-dSKWog09TKPg67C3xvvZPwBYmSpNP0y9ZbfZ1Ex5iDbxkj-UuLU/s640/blogger-image--867358125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_z-9Wsd_VQTQj_av9E3qZdZ8k_0vAWLXheMxy43NOZ3OWAcv-VXTiZrHSKgBH27cUX_6FEncwBr5F832B8ieuzW-dSKWog09TKPg67C3xvvZPwBYmSpNP0y9ZbfZ1Ex5iDbxkj-UuLU/s640/blogger-image--867358125.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_tHezTM7egwoFoqZC-4I0DwVo-tD8HT3_5Ksdh5WdpgYJErKBFQJep2FLGftCBzYhQnaPv_wy5gxa3awRO3XPR70TYd4laCOP_uWWyXmXdGTOTLOb_lpucEiekatKxxNH1UaiVaUnuM/s640/blogger-image-1002568086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_tHezTM7egwoFoqZC-4I0DwVo-tD8HT3_5Ksdh5WdpgYJErKBFQJep2FLGftCBzYhQnaPv_wy5gxa3awRO3XPR70TYd4laCOP_uWWyXmXdGTOTLOb_lpucEiekatKxxNH1UaiVaUnuM/s640/blogger-image-1002568086.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gMF-SQYUxcegpHbdp5hVEab2S12ocN-mjWpQ6OE_eiV8IXLHBtAVPt5j9pnyt0DgRfHFTcBmPZXmz-d58Asjz7YL1XejyPxEhWxpDL407Vy2U2ldcb11M8WXKwTKM2nX0_2JAf9zFKQ/s640/blogger-image--1786088122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gMF-SQYUxcegpHbdp5hVEab2S12ocN-mjWpQ6OE_eiV8IXLHBtAVPt5j9pnyt0DgRfHFTcBmPZXmz-d58Asjz7YL1XejyPxEhWxpDL407Vy2U2ldcb11M8WXKwTKM2nX0_2JAf9zFKQ/s640/blogger-image--1786088122.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div>Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-63390703167573570752014-09-21T15:17:00.004-04:002014-09-21T15:18:07.955-04:00Preschool: Duck Pond Math CenterWell, school is off to a great start! I cannot believe that we are nearing the end of September already!<br />
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Here is a new math center that I did this year in conjunction with the book, "Little Quack's New Friend". It was simple to prepare. </div>
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I cut out a pond shape out of blue tag board and had it laminated so I can use it yearly. </div>
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I randomly wrote numbers 1-9 on the pond. Then I labeled the bottom of some rubber ducks with numbers 1-9.</div>
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I tossed the ducks in a bowl. During Circle Time, we played the game as a group. Each student chose a duck and matched the number on the duck to the number on the pond. It was great to demonstrate how to play the game at Circle Time with all the students because they could complete the center on their own or with a friend during Free Play.</div>
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<br />Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-13751430077789727652014-06-10T16:45:00.000-04:002014-06-10T16:45:44.281-04:00Off to the Strawberry Patch! (Freezer Jam Recipe and a Craft)My day started bright and early capturing a few quick photos of Baby Girl. She is 10 months old today. *sigh* Time sure does fly!<br />
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I had just enough time to upload pictures before I grabbed the 4 year olds from my MIL's daycare and headed to the Pick Your Own Strawberry fields near my house. The kiddos were super excited. </div>
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It stormed last night. That was not about to stop us. Kids like to get messy, right? </div>
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So tromping through the mud we went! </div>
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After a little lesson on strawberry picking from me, they began to fill their baskets!</div>
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Red from top to tip! That is the number one rule!</div>
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It wasn't long before our baskets began filling up!</div>
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Ready to mark where we stopped!</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"> Mr. Muscles needed to carry the baskets full of our berries!</span></div>
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When we got home, we washed our berries and the used plastic knives to cut the green tops off to prep our berries for freezer jam.<br />
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I apologize for the lack of photos for the jam part. Having three helpers in the kitchen left me with no time to pick up the camera. This is the recipe out of the Dutch Gel pamphlet.<br />
I pulsed the berries in my Ninja to mash them. You do not want to puree them.<br />
Then measured out 4 cups of mashed berries.<br />
We added 8 cups of sugar to the berries (Whoa!) and mixed it.<br />
Meanwhile I added 2/3 cup of Dutch Jell (Clear Jell or Sure Jell will work also) to 1.5 cups of cold water and mixed.<br />
I put that in a small pot on the stove and heated until boiling, stirring constantly.<br />
When it boiled I dumped it over the berries and stirred for the recommended 3 minutes. Then transferred to jars and other freezer safe containers. This jam lasts in the freezer for 6 months and in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. Keep that in mind when choosing containers. It can be used as jam or ice cream sauce. You can make milkshakes with it too.<br />
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We made milkshakes with fresh strawberries and vanilla ice cream and just blended in the ninja until smooth. The kids were loving it.<br />
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For lunch we had PB and fresh strawberry jam! Along with some of our freshly picked strawberries.<br />
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But we did not end the fun there! After rest time, it was time for a strawberry craft.<br />
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Kiddos cut out a strawberry shape by folding a piece of red paper in half and drawing a half heart shape on and then cutting it out. Then traced their hands onto green paper and glued it on as the top of the berry. Then they dotted glue all over and added glitter for the seeds. We twisted green pipe cleaner to resemble the vine and added a string to hang.<br />
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Cute! Now I need a nap! </div>
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<br />Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-59059061833204712132014-06-06T09:51:00.001-04:002014-06-06T14:26:55.905-04:00Preschool: Name BooksI want to share my most successful project that I implemented into my classroom this year. They are called "Name Books". Last school year, I realized that while I was working with the children in many different ways to learn how to write their names, many could not spell them or do it without a name tag. My goal was to be more intentional about name writing and spelling. I perused my pinterest board with all my name writing ideas. They all had merit. The problem was there was no organization to it. No way to see progress. I decided I wanted to keep each student's name practice all in one place to see progress. Also to have something at the end of the year to take home and be proud of. By the end of the year, most children were able to complete their name more legibly without help of a teacher or name tag.<br />
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I saw huge progress this year. The books made everything feel more intentional and organized. I had a lot of parents compliment the idea. </div>
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I purchased <a href="http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=21980&keyword=take%20note&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price=">these notebooks</a> from Discount School Supply.<br />
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They work best if used horizontally. </div>
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I dated and labeled each page as we completed a task. Below are a few pages from our book. We did one page a week. I recommend starting out with a "first try" writing. Then begin spelling the name before writing it. We did this by putting our names in order with the help of our name tag. Each time a student completed an activity, they earned a sticker for the front of their book! </div>
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Some of the individual activities were original and others were found on pinterest. Click into my board for links to the original posters. <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/tinkerbell9428/preschool-name/">http://www.pinterest.com/tinkerbell9428/preschool-name/</a></div>
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I wrote the children's names in yellow highlighter and they traced it using paint and q-tips. (Stickers were earned each time they completed an activity in the book. )Activities were sometimes done as a group at Table Time or individually during free-play.</div>
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We use Handwriting without Tears as our writing curriculum. We had a OT come in that works for HWOT and he told us that kids should be tracing whole letters, not dotted or dashed lines. He also provided us with some gray squares that help the kids get the idea of spacing and how to write the letter like we build it on the blue HWOT mats. I made each child a small gray-squared name tag and laminated them. They could grab these and use them when spelling and writing their names.<br />
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One of our first activities included children cutting apart the letters of their name (that I had pre-written) and then gluing them into their book in order. </div>
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Another early activity was for kids to find glue their name in order in their books. This was around Valentine's Day.<br />
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I asked my facebook friends for any half used sheets of ABC stickers taking up space in their scrapbooking storage. Kiddos searched for the letters of their name. We did this during our animal unit, so we called it a letter safari!</div>
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I often programmed pages with "Trace and Try" They traced what I had written and then gave it a try on their own. I did this at least once a month. </div>
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Lines and boxes</div>
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Rainbow Writing: students trace names several times in several colors.</div>
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Fill in the blank.</div>
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Honing in down. </div>
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Students searched for the letters in their names and then stamped them into the book. Lots of fun!<br />
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For letter R week we made name rockets. I suggest having the students count the letters of their name first, glue on the correct number of squares second, then write their name accordingly. This worked better than having them write it first. </div>
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Name Trains for letter T week. Same thing as rockets, count, glue, write. </div>
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Letter repetition. </div>
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Letter Snowman, count, glue write. </div>
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I hope you find this useful! </div>
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Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-12752294570431660432014-05-12T14:20:00.001-04:002014-06-02T20:43:41.346-04:00Preschool: W is for Whale in the Water<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Love this little craft! It can be adapted to suit kiddos of all different ages.<br />
Since I have 3 and 4 year olds and we were completing this as a group, I cut out the whales for the kiddos and had them ready. Older kiddos could certainly cut out their whales themselves.<br />
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I used <a href="http://i1.squidoocdn.com/resize/squidoo_images/800/draft_lens10138301module153382826photo_1316305981whale_sewing_pattern.png"><b>this whale temple</b></a> and traced them onto light gray paper.<br />
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I gave each child a half sheet of light blue construction paper, one pre-cut whale, and one third of sheet of dark blue construction paper programmed with curved line to represent waves/water.<br />
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Each student started by cutting out the "waves" and gluing them to the bottom of the light blue sheet of construction paper. Then they glued the whale to the waves. Next we added an eye and mouth and I helped them draw a "W" in glue to represent the water shooting out of the blowhole. The last step was sprinkling blue glitter onto the "W". And there you have it! A "Whaley" cute craft! ;)<br />
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<br />Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-3355956663047358462014-05-09T10:44:00.003-04:002014-06-02T20:44:27.149-04:00Preschool: Mother's Day Vase of Flower<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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To make this simple and adorable Mother's Day Craft, students cut out vases from construction paper and glued them onto the bottom of a full sheet of construction paper. Then they dipped flower shaped cookie cutters into paint and made prints on the top of the paper. Then we made stems by running a line of glue from the flower to the vase and sprinkled it with green glitter. Finish it off by writing "Happy Mother's Day". Don't forget to have the kids sign them and add the date.<br />
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<br />Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-66798659089775376602014-04-08T20:12:00.001-04:002014-06-02T20:45:09.898-04:00Preschool: Q is for Queen BeeI was looking for sometime different than painting quilt patches for the letter Q in preschool. I am also at the beginning of our bug and insect unit, so making Queen Bees just seemed right!<br />
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I was going to cut out little crowns for each student, but found the cupcake wraps at Michael's and decided that if I cut them into thirds, they would make perfect crowns for our Queen Bees! ( I was glad I did not have to cut them out by hand too!) Paper doilies would also work!<br />
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<b>Grab</b>:<br />
cupcake wraps (not cupcake papers) or doilies<br />
paper plates<br />
yellow paint (we finger painted ours!)<br />
black paint<br />
black construction paper circles for the heads<br />
wiggly eyes or eye stickers<br />
paper mouths cut out of red construction paper<br />
pipe cleaners<br />
contact paper<br />
glitter<br />
glue<br />
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<b>Go:</b><br />
Cut each paper plate in half and paint yellow. While they are drying, cut out wing shapes from contact paper. Sprinkle with glitter and back with another piece of contact paper trimmed to fit.<br />
Make bee faces by gluing on mouths, eyes, pipe cleaner antennas, and crowns.<br />
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When yellow paint is dry, add stripes and staple on head and wings. <b>BUZZ!!!!</b>Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-43740014636850016172014-03-21T16:18:00.003-04:002014-06-02T20:45:50.065-04:00Preschool: Helping Hands I know I have been MIA lately. Thanks for sticking with me! Adjusting to Mommy life with this sweet baby girl has been interesting, but I am loving every minute!<br />
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I thought I would pop in to give you an idea that I tried for the first time in my classroom this year and it has worked out well! I have always hated "Helper Charts" because I felt that it was a lot to keep track of. But I saw <a href="http://www.ashleigh-educationjourney.com/2011/07/classroom-jobs.html">this</a> idea on pinterest and decided to give it a shot! </div>
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I am in love with it! It has simplified my day! Instead of having a:</div>
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-Line Leader</div>
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-Calendar Helper</div>
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-Bell Ringer</div>
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-Snack Helper</div>
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Etc, etc, etc </div>
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I now just have one Helper of the Day or Helping Hand!!! </div>
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It is super simple. One the first day of class each kiddo painted their hand and pressed it one a quarter sheet of white construction paper. I cut out each hand and labeled them with each kiddos name. Then I used a hole punch on each hand and put a binder clip through them. I hung them to my closet with a magnetic hook. Flip it each day and viola! One person to help me whenever for whatever is needed! Give it a shot to simplify your life! ;)</div>
Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-40006763690519678452013-12-06T18:34:00.000-05:002013-12-06T19:28:29.209-05:00Dear Baby Girl: My Dream for You<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Dear Baby Girl, </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"> I have dreams for you. I have hopes for you. I want to give you a good life. I want you to be generous. This may be the greatest gift that you can give yourself. Giving of your money, things, time, talents...it blesses others and blesses you too. It makes you feel good inside your heart. That is Godās way of letting you know you are doing something right and good. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1"> I want to you think about others. How they think, what they must be feeling. Be compassionate, be loving, be like Jesus. Love like Jesus. Sometime as adults we have shallow philosophies. We think that we cannot like or love someone who thinks differently than us. We shy away from those who are look or act differently. We sometimes forget that God created all people and Jesus asked us to reach them with His love. Baby Girl, we can still love those people with the love of Jesus. We do not have to agree with them, or participate but it is not our job to punish them. Show them kindness, show them love, show them Jesus. </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span"></span> I want you to be compassionate. I want your heart to be big. I want you to consider others. I want you to take nothing for granted for it all can go away at any moment. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"></span> When you have nothing, I want you to be thankful. When you have plenty, I want you to be thankful. Remember that there is always someone who has less than you have, who hurts more than you hurt, who struggles more than you struggle. Pray for them and have a thankful heart. </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"></span> I want you to be happy. A happy heart can be found by being generous and thankful. It can be found by loving others and taking care of them. It can be found by sharing Jesus. It can also be found by being content. Baby Girl, this is a hard one. Contentment is becoming a lost state. We always want more, want bigger, want better. That can be a great thing when striving to meet a goal. It can be a detrimental thing when we put our wants before others needs. Or when we constantly feel sad and restless because we are never satisfied with what we have. We never enjoy today because we are too busy waiting for tomorrow to get here. Take time to stop and be happy with today, with a moment. Even when your circumstance is not ideal or even very hard, find something to be content with. Something that satisfies you. Be patient in those times, because I promise it is a small part of your journey. Follow God and keep Him with you and He will always see you through. You can have a happy heart even when things seem to be falling down around you. It is very much a choice. Something that has to be worked at or strived for sometimes. Sometimes it is very easy to be content, everything seems right in your world. Other times you will struggle to find one thing that you can be happy about. Keep looking, it is there. </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"></span> I want you to smile. A smile says so much about you. It says so much to other people. A genuine smile that is filled with compassion and hope and love can be that one thing in someoneās life that gets them through the day, that gives them hope. Baby girl, a smile is free but is priceless as well. </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>I want you to have dreams and goals and work hard to meet them. I want you to find joy in the journey. I want you have a sense of accomplishment. I want you to succeed. But I also want you to fail. As hard as that is for me to say, the truth is there will be things in life that are hard for you, things that you will not be good at, things that hurt. You practice more, fight harder, decide not to give up. You learn through failure. You learn compassion and empathy from your experiences. Your failures do not have to define you, but it is up to you to decide that. I want you to choose to let them make you better. </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"></span> I want you stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. I want you to strive to be selfless. I want you to serve others. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"></span> I want you to know who you are in Christ. He created you; He has plans for you. Tune in to Him. Follow Him. Love Him. Love Him more than you love Daddy and me. Love Him more than you (will) love your husband. Know His word. Believe it. Share it. Stand up for Him. Loving Him will make all the other things easier, natural. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"></span> Baby Girl, people will take advantage of your generosity. Use your discernment, but keep giving. Your compassion may cause you pain. You may become a bullyās target after standing up for a friend. Donāt let that hinder your kind heart. Not everybody is going to like you, and you will not understand why. Donāt worry about it. Remember who you are in Christ. There is nobody in this world that owes you anything. Remember that. Be thankful for even the little things. Work hard for the things that you want. Smile and laugh. It is good for your soul and for others. Go on adventures, read as much as you can, pay for a strangerās coffee, dance in the rain, and love Baby Girl. Love, love, love. It is truly the greatest gift you can give. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I Love you more than you can fathom, </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Love,</span></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Mommy</span></div>
Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-38756273642955608222013-11-02T10:03:00.001-04:002013-11-02T10:03:15.948-04:00Thankful for the HeartbreakI am seeing people posting all over Facebook about what they are thankful this time of year. Tis the season after all. I am thankful for lots of things: people in my life, food to eat, a home to live in, a job I love. But mostly I am thankful for our Baby Girl.<br />
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Naturally, most parents are thankful for their kids, but I think I might have a little bit of a different perspective. My husband and I suffered three heartbreaking miscarriages starting in 2011. You can read <a href="http://preschoolparadisesgb.blogspot.com/2013/04/our-story.html">Our Story here.</a> I wanted nothing else in life. With every passing month, every negative pregnancy test, with every trip to the fertility doctor, I wanted a child more and more. With every positive pregnancy test I got more nervous. Loosing pregnancy after pregnancy takes a little excitement out of that little stick with the word "pregnant" on it. I spent the first 4 months of this last pregnancy over analyzing every little twinge I felt.<br />
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So, what I am trying to babble out, is that I cannot change the fact that we had our hearts broken by loosing three babies. But what I can do is be thankful that those losses led to diagnoses which led to a successful pregnancy. I can be thankful that they made me more aware of just how special her little life is. They made what we all know... a child is a precious gift from God... they made it really real for me. My heart is so full of thankfulness to God for finally blessing us with this little baby that I cannot even seem to ramble it all out on here. I cannot even imagine what it was like before her. I find myself saying, "What did I do before she was here?" I now have a tiny glimpse of how my Heavenly Father feels about me. How much he loves me. So much so that he sacrificed His Only Son to die on the cross for ME! For MY sins, so that I might choose to live in Heaven with Him forever. WHAT!!???!! Go ahead, begin to TRY and wrap your head around it. His ONLY SON! The love that I feel for Baby Girl... I cannot imagine loosing her, let alone giving her up to die for someone else's sinful life. I am reminded of the words of the song below. Take a minute to watch and listen. Blessings to you this Holiday Season!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/SKDujmtyAVk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.99652862548828px;">How deep the Father's love for us,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.99652862548828px;">How vast beyond all measure</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.99652862548828px;">That He should give His only Son</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.99652862548828px;">And make a wretch His treasure</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.99652862548828px;">How great the pain of searing loss,</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.99652862548828px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.99652862548828px;">The Father turns His face away</span><span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.99652862548828px;"> </span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.99652862548828px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.99652862548828px;">As wounds which mar the Chosen One,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.99652862548828px;">Bring many sons to glory</span></div>
</span>Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-41372029668736122142013-10-30T14:13:00.000-04:002014-06-02T20:46:44.585-04:00Preschool: Handprint Pumpkin PatchFor a simple little Fall fun, throw together this simple craft.<br />
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Grab:<br />
Paper plates<br />
Orange, green and brown paint and paint brushes<br />
Small squares of white paper (I used card stock)<br />
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Have kiddos paint the plates orange. Help them paint their hands green all but one finger. Paint the remaining finger brown for the stem. Press onto the white paper. Cut out the handprint and staple to the top of the pumpkin plate. Viola! I hung some green yarn between to look like vines, but will use green curling ribbon in the future.<br />
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<br />Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-84607637541472129442013-10-29T21:58:00.001-04:002014-06-02T20:47:29.854-04:00Preschool: Pumpkin Number Identification Exercise/Evaluation<div style="text-align: center;">
Feels like forever since I posted! Well, that is because we welcomed our Baby Girl into our lives in the middle of August. We are so in love and a little sidetracked. She has become the most interesting thing in our lives!</div>
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But I am back to work and excited to be back into the swing of things. This week, we got in the fall spirit with some fun pumpkin activities. I wanted to share just one with you today. That is all I have time for before Baby Girl needs me again. :) </div>
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To prepare, use copy paper to make some pumpkin seed shapes and number 1-10. You will need one set for each student. You will need to copy a large pumpkin reproducible onto orange paper (1 per student as well). Set up your table like this: set of number mixed up, the pumpkin and a glue stick.<br />
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Working one on one, ask student to find the seed with the number one on it. If they can identify it correctly, have them glue it into their pumpkin. Proceed with numbers 2-10. If they are having trouble identifying the numbers, you want to try to point to a seed and ask them, "Do you know what number this is?" That helped some of the children who had a hard time understanding the directions. Sometimes it just needs presented in a different manner. </div>
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This is a great little way to evaluate number identification. I pop these into the children's portfolios.</div>
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If a student identifies the number incorrectly, I just gently correct them and move on to the next numbers. Helping them identify them along the way. If they know none, often times I will practice 1,2,3 with them for a while and then see if they can identify the number one after that. </div>
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The kiddos really seem to enjoy the "game" whether or not they get to glue seeds in. They don't even know they are being evaluated! </div>
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<br />Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-90608649241146658962013-10-27T19:40:00.001-04:002013-10-27T19:40:08.286-04:00Stationery Card<div class="sflyProductPreviewWidget" style="width:425px; height:494px;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetTop" style="height:6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/top.gif);"></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetCenter" style="height:482px; padding: 0 6px 0 6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/bg.gif); background-repeat:repeat-y;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewLogo" style="width: 105px; height: 34px; padding: 14px 0 0 14px;"><img src="http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/logo.gif" style="padding: 0; background: #ffffff; border: none; box-shadow: none;"></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewContainer" style="height:350px; text-align:center; padding: 0;"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=1QZtWrds2bONA&cid=SFLYOCWIDGET&eid=115"><img src="http://images-community.shutterfly.com/prs/v1/1QZtWrds2bY/1QZtWrds2bY4s/p/67b0de21b3127d902548/JPEG/1382917193000/0/" style="padding: 0; background: #ffffff; border: none; box-shadow: none;"></a></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewMessageContainer" style="height:55px; background-color:#f4f4e9; text-align:center; padding: 15px 0 15px 0; line-height: 19px;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewTitle" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 15px; color: #333333; font-weight: bold;"><span>Stationery Card</span></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewViewCollection" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 13px; color: #333333;"><span>View the entire <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery" style="color: #6666cc;">collection</a> of cards.</span></div><img width="1" height="1" border="0" style="padding: 0; background: #ffffff; border: none; box-shadow: none;" src="https://os.shutterfly.com/b/ss/sflyshareprod/1/H.15/111?pageName=sharekey&c1=msc&c2=blogger" /></div></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetBottom" style="height:6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/bottom.gif);"></div></div>Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-17493532191928738772013-07-28T18:44:00.001-04:002013-07-28T18:44:18.078-04:00My Must Haves for My Preschool ClassroomWell, it is that time of year again! Preschool is right around the corner! The new school year always excites me! I LOVE opening up boxes of supplies before school starts! It is like Christmas! I always forget some of the things that I request and am excited to see them! I wanted to share with you some of my favorite classroom essentials! Click on the item name to link you to where you can purchase them.<br />
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<a href="http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=3461&keyword=trays&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price=">Art Trays</a></div>
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I seriously use these EVERY SINGLE DAY in school. </div>
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I used to have round tables and I would place art supplies for Table Time or art projects on the trays and it helps keep the mess contained. Clean up is simply taking the trays off the table and then you can put supplies away later, but the tables are ready for use again right away. </div>
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I also use these when we are doing messy projects like liquid watercolor. Each kiddo gets one and when they are finished, they can slide the whole tray in the drying rack. Easy, contained mess. They make great portable centers as well. </div>
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<a href="http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=24340&keyword=glue%20brushes&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price=">Glue Jars</a></div>
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This is probably my all time favorite find. Glue jars with brushes. While I think students should be exposed and taught how to use glue bottles, these are great for my age group (3-4). They are able to use them independently and I don't have an issue with them using too much glue. I use these every day as well. I can't imagine my classroom without them. You can also put paint in them. Stock up! </div>
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<a href="http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=1293&keyword=glue%20brushes&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price=">Craft Cups</a></div>
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Before having these in my classroom, I would collect baby food containers, cupcake liners, basically anything that I could toss to put craft items in for crafts, projects, centers, etc. </div>
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These are sturdy disposable cups that can hold glue or paint as well as buttons, pompoms, rice, etc. They make your life easier. No rinsing out a million paint cups. Each kiddo can have their own. </div>
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I order several hundred a year. LOVE them!</div>
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<a href="http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=24037&keyword=watercolor%20paper&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price=">Watercolor Paper</a></div>
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This thick, textured paper is a little pricey, but totally worth it. It makes water color projects vibrant and less messy. Check out those colors! </div>
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<a href="http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=22104&keyword=tape&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price=">Mavelus Tape</a></div>
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Best. Tape. Ever. It does not pull the paint off the wall, yet it sticks to everything. Trust me... buy tons of this tape!</div>
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Leave a comment and let me know what your favorite classroom essentials are! I love to try out new products! </div>
<br />Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-20923016481209573882013-07-24T21:25:00.000-04:002014-06-02T20:48:14.757-04:00Preschool: "My Favorites" ProjectDuring the first month of preschool, we focus on learning about and appreciating our differences and uniqueness. We learn about ourselves, our friends, our families. As a "getting to know you" project, I send this take home project home with my students. When they come back completed, we spend the last 10 minutes of the day allowing students to present their project to the class until everyone has taken their turn. This is a great way for the class to get to know each other and a great bonding experience while they work on the project at home with family members.<br />
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Provide each child with a paper cut out of a person. I included t-shirts as well. Instructions were included to decorate the cut out with the child's favorite things.<br />
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Here are some of the projects from last year. I love how unique each one is. Just like each child!<br />
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<br />Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-912313910890661782013-07-12T11:41:00.003-04:002014-06-02T20:48:59.857-04:00Mike Wozokswi Popcorn: A Monster's University Snack<div style="text-align: center;">
Super easy! Super yummy! Super fun!</div>
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Pop a bag of popcorn and let cool in a large bowl. Mean while, melt some white chocolate in the microwave on 50% power. I start with intervals of 45 seconds and stir in between. When completely melted and smooth, add some green food coloring. I used lime green gel, but any will work. I added a little cinnamon at this point too. Just a few dashes. Stir to make your chocolate green! Then drizzle over popcorn and stir to coat. Dump out on wax paper and let cool and dry for about 5 minutes. Throw in an apple Juicy Juice Mike Wozowski style and you have got a perfectly fun snack! </div>
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Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4972050379091295014.post-90446125328602403242013-07-03T10:58:00.002-04:002014-06-02T20:49:49.593-04:00Patriotic Pasta<div style="text-align: center;">
Want a super easy, super fun 4th of July lunch? Try this Patriotic Pasta!</div>
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Put on two pots of water and bring to a boil. Add red food coloring to the water in one pot and blue to the water in the other. I used a very generous amount in each pot. Add the noodles and cook as usual. Check noodles several times and add more color if needed. You can use regular food color or gel colors, both work great, but gel always gives a more vibrant look! Drain, butter and serve! So simple! </div>
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Sarah Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131755159421676731noreply@blogger.com0